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Putin fumes in ‘lair’ as Ukraine proves hard to conquer

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Michael_Novakhov
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from Eileen AJ Connelly | New York Post.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin is xe2x80x9cfuriousxe2x80x9d that his invasion of Ukraine hasnxe2x80x99t been xe2x80x9ceasyxe2x80x9d after Russian troops have been unable to take even one major city in three days of fighting, according to a member of the European Union Parliament who said he was citing Ukrainian intelligence reports.

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xe2x80x9cPutin is furious, he thought that the whole war would be easy and everything would be done in 1-4 days,xe2x80x9d tweeted Riho Terras, who is also the former defense chief of NATO member Estonia, said in a lengthy thread on Twitter.

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xe2x80x9cThe Russians are in shock of the fierce resistance they have encountered,xe2x80x9d Terras said. He claimed the report shows they donxe2x80x99t have a xe2x80x9ctactical planxe2x80x9d to take a Ukraine that is fighting back, stating that the entire invasion plan relied on xe2x80x9csowing panic among civilians and armed forces and forcing [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky to flee.xe2x80x9d

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Terras posted an image of what appeared to be an intelligence report written in Russian that said, xe2x80x9cPutin is raging. He was sure it would be a cake walk.xe2x80x9d

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US Defense officials also said Saturday that Russian forces are growing increasingly frustrated by the strength of the Ukrainian resistance. Ordinary civilians have joined with Ukrainian forces, making Molotov cocktails, blocking roads and even shooting at the tires of Russian vehicles to impede their progress.

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Get the latest updates in the Russia-Ukraine conflict with the Postxe2x80x99s live coverage.

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Terras, citing the intelligence report, said the Russian military has enough rockets only for three or four days, and with the new sanctions imposed will not be able to replace their depleted weapons. xe2x80x9cThere are not enough weapons,xe2x80x9d the intel report said in two different spots.

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xe2x80x9cIf Ukraine manages to hold the Russians off for 10 days, then the Russians will have to enter negotiations,xe2x80x9d Terras wrote, noting that the war is costing $20 billion a day. xe2x80x9cBecause they have no money, weapons, or resources.xe2x80x9d

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According to Terras, Putin was holed up in his xe2x80x9clair in the Urals,xe2x80x9d and brought Russian oligarchs with him so they couldnxe2x80x99t flee the country.

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The frustration for Russian troops on the ground could be seen as Ukrainians delighted Saturday in mocking them to their faces, and posting videos of it online.

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This included images of destroyed Russian tanks in the northern part of the country, some appearing to show that the military equipment was in bad condition even before the fighting started.

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One viral clip showed Ukrainians mocking Russian soldiers stuck on the side of the road outside Kyiv next to tanks that ran out of gas. xe2x80x9cCan I tow you back to Russia?xe2x80x9d a Ukrainian man in the video offered.

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Ukrainexe2x80x99s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Saturday shared an image of Russian soldiers captured invading the country and urged their families to xe2x80x9ctake your men home.xe2x80x9d

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xe2x80x9cMothers, wives, daughters of Russian soldiers! Take your men home,xe2x80x9d Kuleba wrote in a translated tweet.

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xe2x80x9cThey came to a foreign land to kill innocent people, to destroy our homes. Your power is lying. The people of Ukraine meet them with weapons, not flowers. Demand from the authorities to stop the war of conquest, save your loved ones!xe2x80x9d

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Social media services, including Facebook and Twitter, were blocked or had restricted access inside Russia. Reporters inside the country said Twitter was slow and they had difficult sending news posts. Social media companies including YouTube, Facebook and Instagram parent Meta and Twitter said they would block Russian state media from advertising and would limit recommendations to posts from their channels.

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Separately, RIA news agency said the country may seize funds of foreigners and foreign companies inside Russia in retaliation for sanctions and seizures by the US and allies against Russia and individual Russians, including Putin and his foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov.

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The US and allies have threatened to take the sanctions further and kick Russia out of the major system for global financial transactions, called SWIFT, a move that would further hamper Russiaxe2x80x99s economy.

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Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russiaxe2x80x99s Security Council, also said Moscow does not rule out nationalizing the assets of companies registered in the United States, European Union and other xe2x80x9cunfriendly jurisdictions.xe2x80x9d

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Medvedev also threatened that Moscow could restore the death penalty after a quarter-century because Russia was removed from Europexe2x80x99s top human rights organization.

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xe2x80x9cWe are being driven out of everywhere, punished and threatened, but we donxe2x80x99t feel scared,xe2x80x9d Medvedev said in a post on a Russian social media site, mocking the sanctions imposed by the U.S. and its allies as an attempt to vindicate their past xe2x80x9cshameful decisions, like a cowardly retreat from Afghanistan.xe2x80x9d

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He also threatened that Russia could pull out of a nuclear arms control treaty with the US signed in 2010 that sets strict limits on both countryxe2x80x99s arsenals, and even to cut diplomatic ties with Western countries.

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xe2x80x9cThere is no particular need in maintaining diplomatic relations,xe2x80x9d Medvedev said. xe2x80x9cWe may look at each other in binoculars and gunsights.xe2x80x9d

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Russiaxe2x80x99s state communications watchdog also issued warnings to independent media outlets that they will face closure if they distribute information about the fighting that deviates from the official line.

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Additional reporting by Callie Patteson

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